RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Best Best & Krieger LLP Partner Michelle Ouellette is among the Daily Journal’s Top 100 Women Lawyers in California. While her recent environmental law accomplishments were considered, the legal newspaper highlighted her work leading the Santa Margarita Water District legal team in overcoming challenges to a water recovery and storage project.

An Orange County Superior Court’s ruling last year rejected six challenges to the environmental review and approvals by SMWD and the County of San Bernardino related to the Cadiz Valley Water Conservation, Recovery and Storage Project. The public-private partnership with Cadiz, Inc. to pump and transmit groundwater secures an annual average of 50,000 acre-feet of water for delivery to SMWD and other water users.

That case is important to me because of the drought in California and the need to provide water to our citizens Ouellette said in an interview with the Daily Journal.

“I rely on a large group of people at BB&K who work so hard and so diligently for our clients,” Ouellette said. “They’re really the success story here — not me.”

For 26 years, Ouellette has practiced in BB&K’s Environmental Law and Natural Resources practice group. She effectively and efficiently helps cities, counties, special districts, developers and other clients in the private sector to navigate the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act, the National Environmental Policy Act and state and federal endangered species laws.

The Daily Journal editors noted in the special Top Women Lawyers supplement that it’s only been a short time that female lawyers have had the opportunity to reach “legendary” status for their complex and impactful legal work. The women on this list, like Ouellette, they wrote, have achieved that status.

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Best Best & Krieger LLP is a national law firm that focuses on environmental, business, education, municipal and telecommunications law for public agency and private clients. With 200 attorneys, the law firm has nine offices nationwide, including Indian Wells, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.bbklaw.com or follow @BBKlaw on Twitter.

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Established in 1891, Best Best & Krieger LLP is a full-service law firm with about 200 attorneys in 10 offices across California and in Washington, D.C. We deliver effective, timely and service-oriented solutions to complex legal issues facing public agencies, businesses and individuals.